Improvement in harness-saddles



s. E. TUMPKINSP vHarnass-Saddles.

No. 140,968, Patente dJuly15 J873.

( Witnesses: Inventory w v/O v k I Per Attorneys.

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. therein as I propose.

SAMUEL E. TOMPKINS, OF SING SING, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN HARNESS-SADDLES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 140,968, dated July 15, 1873; application filed March- 15, 1873.

Case A.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL E. ToMPKINs, of Sing Sing, inthe county of Westchester and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Harness-Saddles, of which the following is .a specification:

This invention relates to that class of harmess-saddles known in the trade as English trees; and it consists of long recesses in the upper side of the metal frame of the tree, between the channel or groove for the backstrap and the outer edges, except at the top of the tree, where there is an opening through each as deep as the recess, which recesses are filled flush with the surface with thick sole-leather, which in the upper part constitutes the middle leather, and in the extensions down the sides of the frame are serviceable for nailing the inner portions of the flap or top leather of the saddle to; they also serve to fill up the spaces in broad saddles which it is not needful to have filled with metal; also for nailing the seat front and rear; and also for tacking on pieces for leveling or building up underthe flap to produce the shape required.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a harness-saddle frame constructed according to my invention, with recesses and leather pieces arranged Fig. 2 is a section of Fig. 1 taken on the line a- 00. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3 and Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken on the line 2 2.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

These trees are designed for strong, heavy harness, and it is desirable to have them much wider than the back-strap to have a broad bearin g on the back of the horse; consequently I make a long recess, a, in each part adjoining the flange 0, outside of the channel B, for the back-strap parallel with it, and extending nearly the length of the frame, only terminating short of the holes (1 for the nuts for the pad-screws, by which the jockey is fastened down, which I fill with thick leather pieces D' to fill up the space, and make the tree lighter and cheaper than if filled with metal; also for the other purposes above mentioned; and at the top I have these recesses open out through the outer edges to allow the leather pieces to project at F, Where they become the interposed leather pieces for seating the saddle on. Below the middle portions F they are designed for nailing the inner portions of the flaps to them, which it is desirable in some cases to do. They serve to build up the body portion of a broad frame better and cheaper than to make the frame all of metal in these parts. The crnpper-strap loop G is bolted on over the back-piece D. These leather pieces will be used with these frames both when the terretscrews screw through the back-strap into nuts screwed in the holesH of the bottom plate of the channel B, or when a bridge, J, is applied above the back-strap for the terret-screws, so that they will not pass through the back-strap, in which way these saddles are often arranged, so that the back-strap can be free to move lengthwise across the saddle. In this case the screw for fastening on the seat will be fitted in the hole N. They will be used with the nail-holes e in the margin; also in the bottom 1 for nailing on the flap; also the tongue of the flap. They are secured in the said recesses a by rivets h. When the bridges J are used, they will have notchesl in the edges next to the channel B for the back-strap, for allowing them to extend down to the bottom of the recesses to be secured by rivets m.

In this kind of trees it is desirable to swell the under sides down so much below the plane of the top to form bearings for the back of the horse that they would be very thick and heavy if made wholly of metal; hence, we cast them with these recesses, and fill the recesses in this manner. Wood may be used for these filling-pieces; and although I have only described leather, I do not confine myself to it, but prefer it because it is the best.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patcut-- 1. The combination of recesses 60 in the frame, one on each side of the channel B, with the flanges (J exterior to said recesses, substantially as described.

2. The combination of recesses a in the frame, one on each side of the channelB, with the flanges (J exterior to said recesses, when said flanges are provided with holes 6, 850., substantially as described.

3. The combination of recesses a in the frame, one on each side of the channel B, with the flanges O exterior to said recesses, either with or without holes 6, 850., when said recesses contain leather D, substantially as described.

4. The combination of recesses a in the frame, and of flanges either with or without holes exterior thereto, substantially as described, when said recesses open out on either side of the frame at the top, the extensions F of the leather pieces D therein contained constituting the middle leather for the saddle.

. SAML. E. TOMPKINS. Witnesses:

T. B. MOSHER, ALEX. F. ROBERTS. 

